Cherie Lash Rhoades, the former chairwoman of the
Cedarville
Rancheria of California, was under federal investigation for theft, the Associated Press reported.
Rhoades, 44, was suspected of stealing at least $50,000. The money reportedly came from grants awarded to the tribe, the AP said.
In addition to the probe, Rhoades was facing eviction from the reservation for unspecified reasons. Tribal members and people who know her said she was prone to bouts of anger and often resorted to physical threats.
"Something didn't go her way, so she picked up the corner of the table and threw it," Sonny Craig, a member of the
Pit River Tribe who served with Lash on a Indian health care committee, told The Los Angeles Times. "What did that accomplish?"
But her reputation as a bully couldn't prepare the tribe and the surrounding community for a mass shooting at tribal headquarters on Thursday. Authorities say Rhoades killed four people and injured two others at her eviction hearing.
The victims included her brother, Chairman Rurik Davis, 50. She also allegedly killed a niece, Angel Penn, 19; a nephew, Glenn Calonicco, 30.
Shelia Lynn Russo, 47, the tribe's administrator, was also killed. The people who were injured were taken to a hospital. One remained in critical condition over the weekend while the other was alert and talking, the AP reported.
"This came as a complete shock to everyone in the tribe," Jack Duran, the tribe's general counsel, told the Times. "All of these folks are related."
The
Bureau of Indian Affairs sent a team to the reservation to provide grief counseling.
Get the Story:
AP source: Tribal killing suspect target of probe
(AP 2/20)
Small community devastated by mass shooting
(KRCR 2/21)
Neighbor describes Alturas fatal mass shooting suspect
(KRCR 2/21)
Former Rancheria chairwoman faces charges in Modoc County slayings
(The Sacramento Bee 2/22)
Woman held in tribal shooting known as bully
(AP 2/22)
Rural area rocked by deadly shooting at tribal meeting
(The Los Angeles Times 2/22)
Tribal shooting suspect was known for her temper
(The Los Angeles Times 2/23)
Alturas tribal shooting: Was embezzlement, eviction behind family revenge?
(The Christian Science Monitor 2/23)
Related Stories:
NCAI President Cladoosby urges prayers for
Cedarville Rancheria (2/21)
Former leader of Cedarville Rancheria accused of
mass shooting (2/21)
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